Archive for the ‘Thrifty Shopping and Sprees’ Category

I wish I could say I never produce work that needs to be ripped out. I can’t. This past week my friend Hollie added a bead tail to the needles she uses when she is removing stitches and working too close to her machine needle for comfort. After seeing a picture of them, I just had to make myself a couple of them. The added bling makes keeping track of their whereabouts so much simpler. Needles used to rip out seams are affectionately referred to as “froggin’ needles”…”rip-it, rip-it”. :)

Speaking of Hollie, I received the block she made in our quilt block sampler swap in the Art 4 Mail group. The first block is a simple four-patch. Her fabrics are gorgeous. I’m a big fan of paisley from way back. Our first theme color was blue with a complimentary fabric.

Tomorrow I will mail the ones I made out to the ladies in my group. Did I mention I am a big fan of paisley? I guess I should have repressed my block before taking a picture. It was already folded neatly in quarters, ready for the envelope.

This is how I’ve spent all my sitting time this afternoon. It look like I’ll be cutting tiny stitches for a while. This was a collar I picked up at a thrift store for a dollar a while back. It’s high time I remove the beautiful lace and start using it in CQ projects. I’ll use the muslin, too…

That’s a wrap for this time.

Until next time…

And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. (1 John 2:1)

Night before last I made the final stitches in the round robin blocks in my possession. Last night I had NOTHING ready to work on. I felt like a fish out of water. All month I’ve tried to get my March CQJP block constructed. My fabrics were selected and prewashed and laying in a wrinkled pile on top of my work space. On the first day of March I designed the layout of this month’s block and traced it on my muslin. Today I finally took the time to press my fabrics and stitch my block. Yea me! Tonight the embellishing will begin. This block is the third of a monochromatic theme. It is shades of green, and all the materials used to embellish will also be green.

Here is a picture of the naked block…

Yesterday my husband and I ran errands. While we were out we stopped by one of my favorite thrift stores. I found a few framed vintage handwork pieces, a pretty little tea bag holder, and a choker necklace that will be taken apart and used for embellishing crazy quilt blocks.

Framed tatting (I think this is tatting. I cannot tell the difference between tatting and fine, cotton crochet) The shadows on the matting are in the photo only. The piece is pristine, and I love it! It is hanging near the chair where I sit and stitch and is a sweet inspiration…

I grew up in Virginia and have visited historic Williamsburg several times. Finding the next two pieces was almost like going home. The cross stitch samplers are circa 1950’s. I don’t know where I will hang them, but I couldn’t resist bringing them home. A lot of care and time went into both pieces, and I always feel a strange connection with the unknown person who spent her time working on them. I feel a sadness that no one who loved her wanted to hang on to the pieces.

The Raleigh Tavern…

Brutan Parish Church…

I assume this pretty little piece is a tea bag holder (I am drawn to blue glassware and china. I don’t know if this is a replica or vintage. It’s pretty, and I will use it. It’s hand decorated in the USA (a BIG plus in my book) by CC Fine China…Morgana Collection. I found nothing about it online, but that matters not, because I like it. :)

Robert Rose Faux Pearl Choker (I can’t imagine wearing anything like this around my neck, but the parts will be perfect for embellishing CQ blocks…too bad there are no green pieces!)

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally. . . . But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. James 1:5-6

Jutamas is a fine dining, Thai Restaurant in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. After worship service this morning my sweetheart and I joined our pastor and his sweet wife at Jutamas for a wonderful lunch and fellowship. My friend Rosy lives in Singapore, and because of the wonders of the internet she and I are able to talk about food often. Since she was not able to be at Jutamas with us…this post is for her.

We started our meal with a couple of appetizers. Fresh Rolls were brought to our table first. They were fresh spring rolls filled with cooked chicken, shrimp, egg noodles, avocado, tofu and vegetables and wrapped with rice pastry. Crushed peanuts are sprinkled on top, and they are served with peanut sauce.

Next up was Toong Tong. These tasty appetizers are crispy fried pastries stuffed with a mixture of pork, shrimp, and crab meat. They were served with sweet and sour sauce. Our waitress did not understand the order, and we were only brought a serving for two. Our pastor insisted Allen and I eat them. What a blessing, because they were delicious.

After our appetizers each of us were served a bowl of soup…I’m sorry, but I don’t know the name of the soup. It was delicious and enjoyed by all. It was made of chicken broth, tofu, basil leaves and bean sprouts.

And finally…I ordered Gang Keaw Wam. It is classic green curry, blended with coconut milk, green beans, carrots, eggplant, bamboo shoots, bell peppers and sweet basil. It was superb but way more than I could eat in one sitting. The dishes were so pretty…I would have loved to have taken them home with me. ~sigh~

Rosy, I hope this was almost as good as being with us. Even if we don’t ever share a meal on planet earth we can look forward to a grand banquet in heaven. Maybe we can sit close to one another there. :) I think we would have a grand time.

Until next time…

This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck. 1 Timothy 1:18-19

Like it or not, I had to leave the comfort of my air-conditioned home and brave 90 + degree temperatures and pay our water bill. Since I had to go out anyway, I made the trip really worth sweating and visited my new favorite thrift store. It was a good day to thrift. Here are some of my finds…

A Pfaltzgraff Yorktown Bean Pot

A Light Blue Fiestaware Teapot…

Silk pants to cut up for crazy quilting, A tin made in England, and Vintage Soap Dish

Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed. But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end. Psalm 102:25-27

This past week I made and sent two crazy quilt hearts to two “crazy” friends…

One loves pink…This was a one on one swap.

and the other loves orange. This is a “just because you’re loved heart”.

The next two hearts are part of heart swap through one of the crazy quilt groups I belong to. I sent two and will get two in return. Who will receive mine and whose I will receive is yet unknown.

Swap send 1:

Swap send 2…

Yesterday my sweetie and I stopped at a local thrift store while we were out running errands. They had a boat load of beautiful silk ties priced 3 for $1.00. It was pointless to even try resisting buying a pile of them. Because the ties were in an outside bin, and it was a sweltering hot day, I only bought $9.00’s worth. As soon as I got them home I threw them in the washing machine. Tonight they will be carefully seam-ripped for later use in crazy blocks. I only bought a few of what the thrift store had…the colors are beautiful…so I’ll buy more later if they are still there on my next visit.

Finally here’s a picture of the red block I’ve been working on for over a month. Since the last update, I’ve added an embroidered bird to the top right corner. I removed the small, golden flower beads from the center of the crocheted Irish rose and replaced them with a beautiful, German-made metal button. I added a cluster of buttons on the red lace. On one of the buttons I tried out a tutorial one of the crazy quilt crazy ladies shared on her blog for embellishing buttons with a bullion rose. It was easy to follow, and I’m sure I will use the technique many times in the days to come. Check out the tutorial here: Shawkl: Button Rose Bullion Tutorial…thank you, Kathy. Your technique added a sweet flair to my plain button. :) I still have a way to go before this block is complete. I also tried using waste canvas to cross stitch a motif on this block for the first time. I was inspired by Quayceetatter’sCross Stitch Rose Tutorial. I’m pretty sure I will remove the red chain stitch on the seam at the upper right. It just doesn’t fit…we’ll see.

Earlier in the week I spent a couple of hours thrifting and found a lime green silk skirt. It had “crazy quilt” written all over it. I brought it home and cut it into pieces the same day. This afternoon pieces of both the skirt and lining were sewn into my next block. It’s a seven-inch block constructed of silk, cotton, the “wrong side” of a piece of brocade, and even a piece of polyester (one of my least favorite fabrics, but even it has a place in crazy quilting). As soon as I put the finishing touches on the purple block I was working on before the class I started five or so weeks ago, it is next in line for embellishing.

Putting this block together was less frustrating than any I’ve made so far. Maybe that means I’m getting the hang of it. Not feeling encumbered and overwhelmed while constructing a block definitely makes it more fun. Ooorah.

Here is my naked, green block in all its glory. I can hardly wait to start dolling it up.

Until next time…

But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. Galatians 1:11-12

This morning I made a trip to the post office to mail my share in an Easter pincushion swap. Its forever home is across the big pond in Australia. The pincushion is made of felted wool and is five inches in diameter. It’ll hold a lot of pins!

Side view:

It was a beautiful day…perfect for a little thrifting. My find of the day was a pre-WWII silk kimono. My good-natured, sweetheart modeled it for me so I could take pictures of it. All he needs now is a sword. :)

Back view:

Lining view:

Pattern closeup:

Unless I change my mind, I’ll take a pair of scissors to this lovely kimono and cut it into pieces for use in crazy quilt blocks. At this point I’m feeling a bit conflicted with that idea…but it doesn’t fit me (I wish), and I can’t imagine my sweetie putting it on again. I will give it some thought before I start cutting, but of this I am sure…If I do it will make many beautiful additions to a crazy quilt blocks.

Until next time…

A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth. Ecclesiastes 7:1